


Tonic Immobility

by theweddingofthefoxes



Series: Sugar and Ice [3]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, bed sharing, rot your teeth sure why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8539123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theweddingofthefoxes/pseuds/theweddingofthefoxes
Summary: Yet another story spawned by the events started in Tired and continued in No Such Thing As Luck. More bedtime chats and also some kissing. Soft, soft Kylux indeed.





	

During the day, it's impossible to tell whether Ren is wearing the charm--he is bundled in darkness, swathed in layers of black. But he always is, because when he undresses at night, while he's giving Hux the tally of what he ruined this time in order to ensure his room was unlivable, it's always hanging by its slender chain around his neck.

It's always warm from being so close to Ren's skin, which is always so hot Hux thinks his hands will melt away like icicles from holding him too long. Until it's time to go to sleep, Hux's lights are always up to nearly as high as they can go, so the stone flickers red at Ren's throat. When he shakes out his hair, there's a delicate, nearly imperceptible sound of it clinking on the chain. Greedily, Hux wonder if Ren ever takes it off. 

Hux spends so long working that night--determined to scrape his inbox clean and have no lingering tasks from the day clouding up his thoughts--that he's positive Ren will be fast asleep by the time he climbs in beside him. He glances at the time in the lower corner of the data pad before putting it away. 0200 hours. Ren got here four hours ago and Hux essentially ignored him. He can't help but feel a little guilty, even as he tells himself it was necessary.

He's not expecting Ren to be awake, to immediately pull him so close he's almost squished, as if reaching for a pillow or favorite toy. "Ren, let me breathe," he chides, squirming.

Ren shifts. "Not trying to crush you."

"Try harder."

"You're grouchy."

"I work harder than anyone on this ship. It's to be expected."

"If you slept better you'd be less grouchy."

"If I slept better I'd get less done."

"What would happen if you went to bed earlier? The heat death of the universe?"

"No, but..." Hux turns onto his side, feeling vaguely like he's being made a fool of. "I like work. Even when it's tiring. I like feeling as though some tiny bit of the endless pile has been removed, because of me."

Ren runs his nails along Hux's scalp in a way that's instantly calming, the way some creatures can be made docile just by holding them upside down or pinching them behind the ears. He wonders if Ren is apologizing in some small way. "What else do you like?" Ren asks.

Hux isn't sure exactly what he means or intends by this question, but no matter what, it's not the easiest one for him to answer.

"I like the way I felt after every promotion I received," he finally says. "I like proving people wrong."

"What else?"

"I like animals."

"You do?"

"You sound so surprised."

"Animals are dirty."

"Not tame ones. I rather like tame animals, household animals. They're clean and they listen."

"I don't know if all of them listen. I think many of them have minds of their own."

"Oh, you know what I mean. Besides, they don't argue with me after asking me a question that's entirely a matter of personal opinion."

"I suppose that's true." Ren continues the pleasant scraping and Hux nearly sighs. "And I like when you do that," he says before he can stop himself. He means it, though. It's easier than saying he likes Ren, but Ren has latched onto this compliment now and won't let it go.

"What else do you like about me?" he teases.

"When you go to sleep and don't make a sound and don't do anything else."

"I can stop," Ren mock-threatens, drawing his fingers back out of Hux's hair, and Hux groans.

"Stop doing that and I'll have you thrown out of my room and you can sleep on whatever it is you broke this time."

"Then tell me."

"I like that you'll use whatever tactics you have available to you in order to win, even if you're winning against me. I like that you don't deny yourself an outlet."

"Do you like those things or are you jealous of them?"

"Ren, I don't know. I admire them. Is that all right with you?"

Ren returns his hand, strokes even slower and harder than before, so that Hux nearly feels like purring, his spike of irritation sinking back down into nothingness. 

"More than all right." Ren laughs. "Really, I'm flattered."

Hux knows what else he wants to say, but the words are trapped under a solid icy sheet of fear. Why? Why would that even be, when Ren is the one who's initiated everything--what's he going to do, change his mind right now, right as he's softly combing through Hux's hair? 

He counts ten breaths before he speaks again.

"I liked when you kissed me."

He winces, waiting for Ren to say something back with a victorious little sneer. Oh, did you? he might say, sarcastically, teasing him in a way that hurts like a paper cut. Or maybe Ren will snort, say he knew it, something like that.

That's not what happens. The words have barely left Hux's mouth before Ren pulls Hux on top of him and kisses him again, a little more desperately than the first time, almost like he was surprised to hear Hux say it, wants to strike while the iron's hot. 

"I liked that too," Ren finally says, nearly into Hux's mouth, so little have they parted. 

"You can keep going," Hux offers.

What does he mean by that? Anything. He feels fully entranced, enchanted, willing to follow any road Ren wants to take him down. He feels like a tamed animal, one with a mind of its own, sure, but still. Ren keeps kissing him, but does not press his advantage, which surprises Hux. After a few minutes, his kisses weaken sweetly, sleepily. 

"You'll be grouchy if you don't get some sleep now," Ren says, low. 

"I'm not much better if I've had it, you know that."

They both laugh at that. Hux hears his own laugh, not a bitter chuckle but something lighter, something not laced with hidden meaning. Then Ren's wide hot hand returns yet again to his hair and he spaces out, tired, willing--he is, and this is a word he does not ever use or think, he is blessed.

**Author's Note:**

> Tonic immobility the phrase Hux is trying to think of when he's referencing making animals docile by holding or grabbing them a certain way. Works on sharks, chickens, rabbits and generals. 
> 
> I'm a tenderhearted marshmallow but some danger needs to get introduced at some point. Maybe next time. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at [theweddingofthefoxes](http://theweddingofthefoxes.tumblr.com/). Got prompts? Tell me there.


End file.
